Plate-chain-feeding mechanism



Nov. 15, 1927.

F. DE MINICO PLATE CHAIN FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Maron 2o. 192e :s sheets-sheet 1 rdm M nun w u r. TQS. w wm I; s \w m i, m. J m. Q l B w s \D D a n. MN Q MN mm @N @wm i QN A Q Ik@ 1 l l i fmlllil sin. .Nw N ,N.

Nov. l5, 1927. 1,649,021

F. DE MlNlco PLATE CHAIN FEEDING MECHANISM Filed March 20. 1926- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Elven/1507;

Nov. 15, 1927. l

l F. DE MINICO PLATE CHAIN FEEDING4 MECQHANISM Filed March '20. 1926 trug-llc Patented Nov. l5, i927.

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LATE-CHAN-FEEDNG MECHANISM.

Application led March 20, 1926. Serial No. 96,126.

This invention relates to plate-chain feeding mechanisms, such as are employed in printing machines for 'feeding addressing plates or the like to and away from printing position. rlhe object oi my improvements is to provide a mechanism ot the character speciitied, oi simple construction and particularly adapted for use in connection with sheet rinting machines.

To these ends and others which will be t'ully set forth later herein my improvements comprise features illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the drawings accompanying this specification, wherein Figure l is a side elevation, part-ly in scction, oi' so much ot' a sheet printing machine as will sullice to suitably show my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding with what is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a tragmentary side elevation similar to a portion ot 1, showing the parts in different relative positions. Fig. a is a similar elevation showing another step in the operation ot the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a sectional end view ol a detail oi2 the mechanism. lligs. o and 7 are, respectively, plan and side elevation of a modication of my iinproved mechanism. The figures oi' the drawings are all to one scale. i

The machine, in connection with which l have chosen to illustrate my improvements, is particularly adapted tor printing on one side ot single sheets, as 2, lfroin a type torn 8, supported on the bedsot' the machine. 3f? Said bed maybe supported on the usual legs, as o, and is provided with carri We l, adapted for lengthwiffse traverse over bed il and having roller 7 mounted 'for rotation thereon ior bringing sheet 2 into printing engagement with type 'form 8 as said roll is caused to traverse thereover. Form 3 may be inked by some known means such as a hand ink roller, or by means ot an' ink ribbon, not shown. The machine ot' the drawings is particularly usetul for printing circular letters wherein the body ot the matter is constant but the superscriptlon variable. 'llo supply this variable superscription is the particular object ot' the 57 present improvements. The superscriptions or addresses are carried on a series of embossed type-plates, as 8, arranged in the torni ot a chain 8, such for instance, as shown in .lligs 7 toi() inclusive oty U. S. 57? Patent 866,863, of cSeptemlier 2a, 1907, to

Hopkins. Said chain ot plates may be conveniently carried by reel 9 pivotally mounted in supports, as 10, and thence led through the machine to receiving reel 11 pivotally mounted in supports, as 12. j y

ln printing an address at the head ot a letter sheet, it is desirable to have said address relatively near the, body of the letter printed from form 3. 'llo this end it is impracticable to have the chain ot' plates supported `in printing position by a roll, as such an arrangement would locate the uppermostplate in printingposition too tar away rom the body ot the letter. I therefore employ a swinging platen 13 pivoted at 14 just below the top ot table Il, within an opening in the right hand end oi said table. Said platen preferably has an adjustable pressure block 15 thereon whereby the height ot'the plate in printing position may be adjusted by means of push screws 1G and pull screw 17, Fig. 5'.

F or incrementally advancing plate-chain` 8a, feed `drum 18, pivotally mounted atthe right hand end of the machine, Figs. 1 and 2, is provided. Said drum has in its periphery, suitably spaced grooves, as 19, for thereception ot' the plate hinges, as 20, and roll 21, pivote-ily mounted in supports, as 12, is efficient for keeping said chain in operative engagement with drum 18. Reel 11 may be trictionally driven by known means, not shown, 'for reeling up the chain as it is advanced by drum 18. Adjacent platen 1S andto the right thereof, roll 22 is pivotally niounted to guide the chain from said platen to drum 18; also roll 23 is mounted between trames, as 5, to guide the chain `from reel 9 to platen 13.

For swinging )laten 13 and for intermittently rotating drum 18, the following means are provided: Pivoted at 25 below the upper tace ci bed t, on ear 2450i said bed, is cam 26 having' opposite cam faces 26a and 26h for alternate engagement with roll 28 oit carriage 6, as that carriage is moved back and forth over bed 4:. Depending arm 27 of said cam is pivotally connected at 32 by link 29 with toggle arms 30, 81. The upper end ot' toggle arm 30 is pivotally connected with ear 33 ot' platen 13 and the lower end of arm 31 is pivotally connected with ear of leg 5. Fixed to drumishatt 35 is ratchet 86 and turning freely on said shaft is arm 37 having lll() pivoted thereto pawl 38, spring pressed to engagement with said ratchet. Link 3) connects pivotl 39. of link Q9 and toggle arms 30, 31 with pawl arm 3T. As the movement ot' link 39 is in excess otthe requirements of arm 37 and pawl 38, shoe Ll0 is provided said pawl to ride upon at the extreme otl its backward movement, see Fig. 3. Also pin 41 is provided to limit the backward movement of toggle arm S1.

In the modiiication of'Figs. 6 and 7, the platen 13 and the chain feed drum 180 are operated from power shaft ft2 instead ot from carriage G, as in the earlier figures ot the drawings. Also in the arrangement ot Figs. 6 and 7 said carriage will be operated by power from said shatt Ll2, by known means, not shown, and which means are not pertinent to the present improvements. Furthermore the embossed type plates, as 80, ot' Figs. 6 and 7 are wider than the corresponding plates7 as 8, ol the earlier tigures. For these wider plates it is also preferable Vlo provide feed drum 180 with a plurality'of peripheral flat seats, as 4?), tor the reception of the successive plates 180. In the Ineditication, toggle arms 30. 3l are in all essentials the same as in the earlier figures except that lower link 31 has a downwardly extending arm 310 which is operatively connected to eccentric it by strap arm L15. Also, pawl 38 is operated from eccentric 46 fixed to shaft 4Q, through strap arm 17 pivotally connected to the lower arm ot lever 48. pivoted at 49 on frame 5, the upper arm ot said lever 48 being connected by link 50 with pawl arm 37. Eceent-rics 44, 4G are the operative equivalents ot cam 26 and the term cam as used in the claims will be understood to refer equally to said eccentrics. v

In some cases, itiby any chance the introduction of a` sheet is omitted, it is desirable to retain a given plate on platen 13. To this end shoe A'l0 is carried by arm .51 pivoted on shaft 35. l7-y means ot lever 52 pivoted at 53 on trame 5 and operativelyv connected with arm 51 by pin 5st, said shoe 10 may be advanced in clockwise direction under pawl 38 and thereby prevent the engagement ot said `pawl with ratchet 36.

The operation ot my improved mechanism is as follows: In Fig. 1 carriage 6 is shown at the left hand end of the machine, platen 13 is in its dropped position and pawl 88 is at the end of its movement in clockwise direction, whereby platechain 8IL has just been advanced one plate increment, thereby presenting the nextneeded plate 8" over pressure block 15 ot platen 13.

A, sheet. as 2, ready for printing. is now laid over type form 3 with its right hand end extending 'over plate 8". Carriage G is then advanced to the ri eht, roller 7 thereof pressingthe sheet down against the type form and said carriage roll 28 presently engages earn face 2Gb of cam 2G whereby said cam is oscillated in clockwise direction to the position of Fig. 8, thereby, through link 29 and toggle arms 30, 3l, swinging platen 13 upwardly and seating plate 8l on pressure block 15 and carrying said plate into printing position, Fig. 3. In said figure, roller 7 is shownpassing above said plate for pressing the sheet thereagainst. At the same time, link 39 has been drawn to the left, thereby swinging arm 3T in anti-clockwise direction, wher eby pawl 38 is retracted onto shoe 40.

The sheet havingy been thus printed, carriage 6 is started on its return journey to the lett, Fig. '17, and presently roll Q8 engages `l'ace QG ol cam 26. rocking; that, cam, whereby link :29 buckles the toggle and withdraws platen 13 downwardly, thereby releasingT the plate-chain, and arm 37 is swung in clockwise direction eausing,r pawl 88 to engage ratchet 3G.

Carriage (3, continuing itsnovement t0 the lett, rocks cam 2G its full anti-clockwise stroke. whereby platen 13 is lowered to the position of Fig. 1 and pawl 38 moves ratchet 3G and drum 18 to deliver a new plate of chain 8f1 over platen 13. The carriage then continues its movement to the lett to the position of 'Fig 1 and the mechanism is ready to repeat the operation `inst described.

The operation of the modification of Figs. G and 7 is in all essentials the same as described in connection with the earlier figures ot the drawings.

I claim:

l. In feeding n'ieehanisms for platechains..

said type-plate, means for interniittently advancing said chain vertically toward and then over said platen including a pivotally mounted chain feed drum, and means for incren'ientally rotatingsaid drum synchroiiously with the downward oscillation of said platen.

3. In feedingy mechanisms for plate-chains the con'ibination of av chain ot type-plates`r a type-plate platen mounted 'tor oscillation upwardly for deliveringy a type-plate into printingf position and downwardly for releasing said type-plate. means for intermittently advancing said chain over said platen lll) including a pivotally mounted chain feed drum, a ratchet fixed thereto, an oscillatable pawl for actuating said ratchet, a cam operatively connected with said pawl, and means for synchronizing the downward oscillation of said platen with the movement of said ratchet and drum.

d. ln feeding mechanisms for plate-chains the combination of a chain of type-plates, a type-plate platen mounted for oscillation upwardly for delivering a type-plate into printing position and downwardly for releasing said type-plate, means for intermittently at 'ancing said chain over said platen including a )piivotally mounted chain feed drum, a ratchet liXed thereto, an oscillatable pawl for actuating said ratchet, means for oscillating said pawl and a shoe pivotally mounted concentric with said ratchet, and means for swinging said shoe between said pawl and ratchet for preventing the coaction of said pawl and ratchet.

5. ln feeding mechanisms for plate-chains the combination of a type form bed, a carriage mounted for movement back and forth over said bed, a chain of type-plates, a typeplate platen contiguous to one end of said bed mounted for oscillation upwardly for delivering a type-plate into printing' position and downwardly for releasing said type-plate, means for intermittently advancing said chain over said platen including means on said carriage, and means for oscillating said platen downwardly synchronously with the advancement of said chain.

ln feeding mechanisms for plate-chains the combination of a type form bed, a carriage mounted for movement back and forth over said bed, a chain of type-plates, a typepiate platen contiguous to one end of said bed mounted for oscillation upwardly for ydelivering a type-plate into printing position and downwardly for releasing said type-plate, means for intermittently advancing` said chain vertically toward and then over said platen including a pivotally mounted chain feed drum, and means for incrementally rotating said drum sychronously with the downward oscillation of said platen including means on said carriage` 7. ln feeding mechanisms for plate-chains the combination of a type form bed, a carriage mounted for movement back and forth over said bed, a chain of type-plates, a typeplate platen contiguousI to one end of said bcfl mounted for oscillation upwardly for delivering a type-plate into printing position and downwardly for releasing said type-plate, means for intermittently advancing said chain over said platen including a pivotally mounted chain feed drum, a ratchet fixed thereto, an oscillatable pawl for actuating said ratchet, an oscillatable cam operatively connected with said pawl, a cam roll carried by said carriage and adapted for oscillating said cam, said cam being operatively connected to said platen for oscillating said platen, and means for sychronizing the downward oscillation of said platen with the movement of said ratchet and drum. "U

8. In feeding mechanisms for plate-chains the combination of a type form bed, a carriage mounted for movement back and forth over said bed, a chain of type-plates, a typeplate platen contiguous to one end of said bed mounted for oscillation upwardly for delivering a type-plate into printing position and downwardly for releasing said type-plaie, means for intermittently advancing said chain over said platen including a pivotally mounted chain feed drum, a ratchet fixed thereto, an oscillatable pawl for actuating said ratchet, an oscillatable cam operatively connected with said pawl, a cam roll carried by said carriage and adapted for oscillating said cam, said cam` being operatively connected to said platen for oscillating said platen, means for synchronizing the downward oscillation of said platen with the movement of said ratchet and drum, a toggle for oscillating said platen, a link operably connecting said oscillatable cam with said toggle, and a link operably connecting said toggle with said pawl,

9.v in a mechanism of the character specitied the combination of a type form, a carriage adapted for traverse over said type form, an impression roller on said carriage, means for moving said carriage, a chain of type plates contiguous to one end of said type form, a type plate platen mounted for oscillation on an axis normal to the direction of movement of said carriage, means for intermittently advancing said chain over said platen in the direction of movement of said carriage, the path of movement of said chain of type plates being upward and then horizontal onto said platen, said platen being e'iiicient for delivering an individiiial type plate from an inclined position to a horizontal position for operation.

l0. In feeding mechanisms for platechains the combination of a chain of typeplates, a type plate platen mounted for oscillation, means for advancing said chain over said platen, the path of movement of said chain of type plates being upward and then horizontally onto said platen, said platen being eficient for delivering an individual type plate from an inclined position to a horizontal position for operation.

In witness whereof, I herebyl affix my signature this 16th day of March, 1926.

FRANK DE MINICO. 

